Berkshire orchard will help young people with severe autism

Young people at Prior's Court are to gain further opportunities to develop their employment skills thanks to an apple orchard.

Prior’s Court has been awarded a grant of £45,000 to support a project to develop an orchard at its 50-acre site in Hermitage near Thatcham.

The grant will fund the initial capital set-up costs of the orchard - purchasing trees and associated items, and a surface irrigation system. Also funded will be staffing costs of a Job Coach to work with the young people on the orchard project and other horticulture activities over the next 16 months.

Sue Piper, Prior’s Court Director of Education, said:

“Vocational learning, including land-based programmes such as horticulture, is one of our key areas of learning- to give more opportunities for our young people to develop the skills and experiences required to enter the world of work. This is particularly important as only 32% of people who are affected by autism are in paid employment.

“The orchard project supports this ambition as our young people can learn vital horticulture-based skills, such as using tools and plant care.

“Not only this, the project will also provide opportunities to improve wellbeing for both young people and our staff members by increasing time spent outside, and further develop positive relationships with trusted adults.”

Karen White, Prior’s Court Head of Fundraising, said:

“The eventual ambition is to use the apples from the orchard to create a commercial enterprise, similar to our ground-breaking Bread & Beyond bakery. This then gives our young people further opportunities to practice vocational skills in the field of business and enterprise."

• priors court
• thatcham
• Autism